


Of Decisions and Deserted Beaches

by ghostdude101



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, DoctorDonna, Episode: s04e13 Journey's End, F/M, Fix-It, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-05
Updated: 2012-05-05
Packaged: 2017-11-04 21:14:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/398268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostdude101/pseuds/ghostdude101
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which the human Doctor refuses to stay in the alternate universe. Kind of a fix-it for Journey's End.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Decisions and Deserted Beaches

After everyone else leaves, there’s only five of you left inside the TARDIS. You, Donna, Rose, Jackie, and _him_ , the other Doctor, the original one. As soon as he says that you're heading for the Bad Wolf Bay, you understand. You _know_ what he’s planning to do. He’s planning to leave you – you and Rose and Jackie – in the alternate universe.

No, no, no, you can’t let that happen. You _can’t_ , because you know what’s going to happen to Donna as soon as you leave. She’s going to burn, and he’s going to kill her. Not literally, of course, but as good as. Your beautiful, brilliant Donna, and he’s going to rid her mind of everything that she’s done, every wonderful, amazing thing.

Well, you’re not going to let that happen. As long as you’re with her, she’s going to be okay. You can be her magnet, siphoning off the excess energy and absorbing it into yourself. It will work, you know it will, because you have the mind of a Time Lord and the imagination of a human, something not even the ‘real’ Doctor has. You smile to yourself, thinking of how incensed he will be, to be out-thought by someone that started out as a severed hand in a jar.

And you’re right. He gets angry, very angry, when you refuse to stay in this other universe, while you stumble over your words trying to explain. Finally, you give up on English, and start talking in rapid Gallifreyan, because the metaphysics involved in saving Donna’s mind is much, much easier to explain in a language that was built for it.

The abrupt change in language startles him a bit, but it actually makes him _listen_ , for once. You can see Donna tilting her head, trying to follow the increasingly complicated explanations in a language she has never used.

You can’t help but smile, because how wonderful it is, having three people that can understand the language, _your_ language, when before there was only one, the very last one. You can see the same thought form in his head when he turns to look at Donna, and maybe that influences his decision. When he finally turns back to you, he has a small smile on his face, and you know that you’ve won, and that he’s going to let you stay.

“Doctor, what’s going on?” A voice - Rose’s voice - breaks through your thoughts. She and Jackie are standing further back, looking utterly baffled by the turn of events.

The Doctor goes to her, to try and explain, but you know it won’t do any good. Whatever he says, he’s going to end up breaking her heart. Because there’s only one thing Rose Tyler wants, and it’s the Doctor. Unfortunately, that’s the only thing he _can’t_ give her, because you can’t stay and he won’t.

A pang of guilt hits you, because she deserves to be happy. After everything she’s done for you – well, for _him_ really, but same difference – she deserves a chance to be happy. Just not with you, and not at Donna’s expanse. You hope she finds happiness here, you sincerely do. Being with her family, watching her little brother grow up, and maybe even defending the Earth from alien invasions on occasion.

You’re shaken out of your reverie by Donna. She stands beside you, and nudges you with her shoulder. “Go on, go say goodbye. It’s your last chance, after all, Doctor.”

She’s right, of course. So you walk up to them, standing huddled together, and your heart – just the one, now – constricts painfully at the utter devastation written on her face. You genuinely don’t know what to say, because you’re the one who was supposed to stay with her but you’re not really the one she wants. The phrase “I’m sorry, I’m so very sorry” was at the tip of your tongue, but you don’t say it because those are _his_ words, not yours, and you think he’s already said it, anyway. Before you could form any words, Rose gives you a sad smile before turning to walk away. You don’t chase after her, simply because there’s nothing else to say.

````````````````````````````````````

Back in the TARDIS, the three of you stand around the console, piloting her together. It’s easy, instinctive, and it feels so very right like this. The TARDIS may need six pilots to fly properly, but three Time Lords is more than enough for a smooth ride.

When the TARDIS is safely inside the vortex, Donna turns to the Doctor and smacks him on the arm, hard.

“Ow! What was that for?” he asks, rubbing his arm.

“You were going to wipe my mind? Without my permission? If you ever think of doing something like that again, Spaceman, I’m going to slap you into next week, you understand me?”

“I thought that was the only way to save your life, Donna,” the Doctor says quietly, so quietly that you can hardly hear him. “I can’t lose you, Donna, I just _can’t_. I’m sorry.”

He lifts his head to look Donna in the eye, and you can read his emotions as clear as day. He loves her. Not in the best mates kind of way, and not an infatuation as it was with Rose, but deeply, properly in love with her. Oh, bloody hell, you’re in trouble now, because you have a sneaking suspicion that you feel the same way, too.

“I know, you silly Martian. But maybe next time you can try giving people a choice, alright?” Donna says, her voice soft and understanding. She hugs him then, and a delighted grin breaks on his face.

And then she turns around and hugs _you_ tight, whispering a soft “Thank you” in your ear. You struggle to find a response, and finally settle for hugging her tighter, joy and relief flooding through you.

Whatever happens next, at this moment, everything is right in the universe. Donna and her Doctors, together in the TARDIS, just as it should be.


End file.
